Fluid pumping arrangement and parts therefor or the like



Dec. 16, 1969 A. PALMER 3,483,823

FLUID PUMPING ARRANGEMENT AND PARTS THEREFOR OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21. 196'? INVENTOR REED A. PALMER HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to means for converting a vacuum'source creating fluid pumping arrangement to a fluid pressure source creatingvarrangement by effectively securing an outlet adaptor to the outlet of the pumping arrangement in such amanner that the pumped fluid must pass through the adaptor and out of a nipple means thereof that canbe interconnected to a conduit means of pressure operated system, the adaptor being so constructed and arranged that the same is fastened to the outlet housing means of the pumping arrangement by the same interconnection means that interconnects the pumping device to an armature that is oscillated by an electromagnetic motors means to cause the pumping action.

This invention relates to an improved pumping arrangement for creating a fluid pressure source as well as to improved parts for such a pumping arrangement or the like.

It is well known from the U.S. patent to David, No. 3,267,867, issued on Aug. 23, 1966, that an electromagnetic pumping device can be provided to creat a. vacuum source for operating a plurality ofvacuum operated actuators when interconnected thereto, the pumping arrangement including an inlet housing secured to a frame means that carries an electromagnetic motor means and an armature oscillated thereby and an outlet housing interconnected to the inlet housing by a flexible diaphragm to define a pumping chamber therebetween. The outlet housing is interconnected to the armature by an interconnection means that causes the outlet housing and diaphragm to oscillate with the armature and cause a pumping action whereby air is removed from the pneumatic system into the inlet housing means and out of the outlet housing means for creating the aforementioned vacuum source.

However, according to the teachings of this invention,

it has been found that such a vacuum source creating arrangement can be converted into a fluid pressure source creating arrangement in a simple and effective manner without requiring excessive and expensive structural changes for such conversion or complicated assembly operations.

Further, it has been found that such prior known vacuum source creating arrangement can be converted in such a manner to the fluid pressure creating source by merely utilizing an adaptor of this invention which can be readily removed from the converted arrangement so that such arrangement can be reconver ted back to a vacuum creating source means, if desired.

In particular, the adaptor of this invention can be readily secured to the outlet housing means of the pumping arrangement by the same interconnection means that interconnects the armature to such outlet housing whereby all of the fluid being pumped by the pumping arrangement must pass out through a nipple means of the adaptor. the nipple means being adapted to be interconnected to a flexible conduit or the like to provide a fluid pressur source for operating fluid pressure operated actuators or the like.

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Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved pumping arrangement having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an impioved pumping device for such an arrangement or the A further object of this invention is to provid an improved adaptor for converting a vacuum source creating device into a fluid pressure source creating device, the adaptor of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view illustrating the improved fluid pressure creating arrangement of this invention being utilized in a pressure operated control system. v

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pumping arrangement of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an xploded perspective view illustrating certain of the parts of the pumping arrangement of FIGURE 2. v

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adaptable for converting one type of vacuum source creating arrangement into a fluid pressure creating source arrangement, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide such conversion means or other types of devices as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized 'to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the improved pumping arrangement of this invention for creating a fluid pressure source is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and is illustrated schematically in FIG- URE 1 as operating a fluid-pressure control system generally indicated by the reference numeral 1.1.

The fluid pumping arrangement 10 is substantially identical to the vacuum creating source arrangement illustrated, described and claimed in the aforementioned U.S. patent to Davis, No. 3,267,867, except that the same has been converted by an adaptor 12 of this invention in 'a manner hereinafter described to cause all of the fluid being pumped thereby in a manner hereinafter described to pass out of the adaptor 12 into a conduit means 13 that leads to outlet ports 14 and 15 that interrupt a fiat reading surface 16 of a stationary reading head 17.

A reading member 18 is adapted to be moved over the reading head surface 14 in any suitable manner and'is provided with a plurality of indentations or open ended channels 19 in the reading surface 20 thereof that are adapted to bridge a pressure source port 14 or 15 with another port 21 or 22 of the reading head 17 when aligned therewith. the ports 21 and 22 respectively being interconnected to pressure operated actuator means 23 and 24 by conduit means 25 and 26.

Thus, when the fluid pressure source 13 is interconnected to the port 21 by the reading member 18 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2, the fluid pressure source expands the actuator 23 to an operating position thereof for controlling an electrical switch or the like. However, when the fluid pressure source 13 is disconnected from a pneumatically operated actuator, for example the actuator 24 illustrated in FIGURE 1, the actuator 24 collapses to a deactuate position thereof,

Therefore, it can be seen that the fluid pressure source creating arrangement 10 of this invention can be utilized to sequentially control a plurality of pressure operated actuator means in such a manner that the actuators can control the' cycle of operation of an apparatus or the like.

The details of the pumping arrangement 10 of this'invention will now be described and reference is made to FIGURES 2 and 3 wherein a substantially C-shaped frame member 27 is provided and has the opposed ends 28 and 29 substantially directed toward each other, the end 28 of the frame 27 telescopically carrying an electrical coil 28' thereon whereby the end means 28 provides a core for the coil 28' to define an electromagnetic motor means 30 of the arrangement 10.

An armature 31 is interconnected to the other end 29 of the frame 27 by a leaf spring 32 that normally tends to maintain the armature 31 in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2. However, the motor means 30, when energized, tends to draw the armature 31 from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 toward the left in FIGURE 2 in opposition to the force of the leaf spring 32 until the motor means 30 is deenergized whereby the motor means 30 can oscillate the armature 31 in an arcuate path at a desired frequency.

The pumping arrangement 10 includes a pumping device that is generally indicated by the reference numeral 33 in FIGURE 2 and comprises an inlet housing 34 secured to the frame 27 by having an extension '35 thereof passing through a bore 36 in the frame 27 and being secured thereto by a threaded retainer 37 being threadedly disposed on the threaded end 38 of the extension 35. The pumping device 33 includes an outlet housing 39 secured to the inner periphery 40 of a flexible diaphragm 41 having its outer periphery 42 snap fitted over an outwardly directed annular flange 43 of the inlet housing 34 whereby the flexible diaphragm 41 defines a pumping chamber 44 between the housings 34 and 39.

The inlet housing 34 carries a valve member 45 normally tending to close an inlet passage 46 passing through the inlet housing 34 to the pumping chamber 44. Similarly, the outlet housing 39 carries a valve member 47 normally closing a passage means 48 thereof that leads from the pumping chamber 44 to an outlet end means 49 of the outlet housing 39.

An externally threaded member 50 is secured to the free end 51 of a leaf spring 52 that has its other end 53 secured to the armature 31, the externally threaded member 50 passing through an opening 54 in the armature 31 and being threadedly received in an internally threaded member 55 that is received in the open outlet end 49 of the outlet housing 39 and is secured thereto by a flange means 56 of the outlet housing 39 being staked over an outwardly directed flange means 57 of the internally threaded member 55. In this manner, the threaded members 0 and 55 interconnect the armature 31 to the outlet housing 39 so that when the armature 31 is oscillated by the electromagnetic motor means 30, movement of the outlet housing 39 toward the inlet housing 34 decreases the volumetric capacity of the pumping chamber 44 whereby the fluid being compressed therein closes the valve member 45 and opens the valve member 47 of the outlet housing 39 to pass through the same and openings 58 in the flange 57 of the internally threaded member 55 and out of the outlet end 49 of the housing 39 into the adaptor 12 of this invention in a manner hereinafter described.

Conversely, when the armature 31 is moving back to the right from the previously described pumping stroke, the volumetric capacity of the chamber 44 is progressively increased and since the valve member 47 is now disposed in a closed position, the vacuum being created in the increasing chamber 44 opens the valve member 45 of the inlet housing 34 to draw fluid into the chamber 44 from the passage means 46 thereof. If desired, a filter member 59 can be attached to the tubular extension 35 of r 4 the inlet housing 34 to contain a filtering medium 60 to filter dust and the like from the fluid being drawn into the pumping chamber 44 during an intake stroke of the device 33.

Therefore, it can be seen that while the armature 31 is being oscillated by the electromagnetic motor means 30, the pumping device 33 will deliver the pumped fluid out of the outlet end 49 of the outlet housing 39 and can be utilized as a fluid pressure source for operating the system 11 in a manner hereinafter described when the adaptor 12 of this invention is utilized in the manner illustrated in the drawings.

In particular, the adaptor 12 is substantially cup-shaped to define an open end 61 and a closed end 62 provided with an opening means 63 passing therethrough to telescopically receive the externally threaded member 50. The inside surface 64 of theclosed wall 62 of the adaptor 12 is provided with a recess 65 that receives a sealing washer-like member 66 to engage and seal against an end shoulder 67 of the internally threaded member 55 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2. In order to compress the seal 66 between the end surface 67 of the internally threaded member 55 and the closed wall 62 of the cupshaped adaptor 12 of this invention, a threaded retainer 68 is threaded on the externally threaded member 50 to stack the adaptor 12 against the internally threaded member 55 as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

In addition, the open end 61 of the adaptor 12 is provided with an annular groove 69 that receives the annular tongue or flange 56 of the outlet housing 39' and is compressed thereagainst when the retainer 68 stacks the adaptor 12 against the internally threaded member 55 whereby not only is the inlet end 61 of the adaptor 12 compressed and sealed against the outlet end 49 of the outlet housing 39 by the retaining nut 68, but also the interior of the adaptor 12 is sealed from the exterior" thereof at the opening means 63 thereof by the compressed sealing member 66 between the end surface 67 of the internally threaded member '55 and the inside surface 64 of the closed wall 62 of the adaptor 12 by the retaining nut 68.

Thus, it can be seen that the adaptor 12 is adapted to be secured to the outlet housing 39 by the same interconnection means 50, 55 that interconnects the armature 31 .to the outlet housing 3 9.

The adaptor 12 has a substantially cylindrical external side wall means 70 provided with an outwardly extending integral nipple means 71 projecting therefrom and having a passage means 72 that leads from the interior of the adaptor 12 to the exterior thereof. In this manner, the conduit means 13 of the system 11 can be interconnected to the nipple means 71 in any desired manner, such as by being flexibly telescoped over the same, to directly interconnect the system 11 to the outlet nipple means 71 of the adaptor 12 whereby all of the fluid that is pumped by the pumping device 33 must pass through the adaptor 12 and into the conduit means 13 to provide the fluid pressure source for the system 11.

Accordingly, it can be seen that this invention not only provides an improved pumping arrangement for a fluid pressure operated system or the like, but also this invention provides an improved pumping device and an adaptor therefor wherein the adaptor can be simply and effectively utilized to convert a vacuum source creating device to a pressure source creating device and can, thereafter, be simply removed to reconvert the device back to the vacuum creating device, if desired.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a flexible diaphragm interconnecting said housings together and defining a pumping chamber therebetween, a.

frame means carrying said inlet housing, an electromagnetic motor means carried by said frame means, a movable armature carried by said frame means to be oscillated by said motor means, means interconnecting said armature to said outlet housing to cause said outlet housing and diaphragm to oscillate therewith and pump fluid from said inlet housing out through said outlet housing, and an adaptor carried by said outlet housing for receiving said fluid pumped therethrough, said adaptor having an outlet nipple means for interconnecting to conduit means and through which said pumped fluid must pass out of said adaptor, said outlet housing having an open outlet end, said adaptor having an open inlet end abuttingly seated on said outlet end of said outlet housing to fluidly interconnect the same together and seal said open outlet end of said outlet housing from the exterior thereof.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said armature to said outlet housing comprises a rigid member extending into said open outlet end of said outlet housing, said adaptor having opening means telescopically receiving said rigid memher.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rigid member comprises an externally threaded member and an internally threaded member threadedly receiving said externally threaded member, said adaptor having said opening means receiving said externally threaded member, and a retainer threaded on said externally threaded member to stack said adaptor against said internally threaded member whereby said adaptor is fastened to said outlet housing.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said stacking of said adaptor against said internally threaded member causes said inlet open end of said adaptor to be compressed in sealed relation with said outlet open end o said outlet housing.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outlet open end of said outlet housing has an annular outwardly directed tongue and wherein said inlet open end of said adaptor has an annular groove receiving said tongue to seal said adaptor and outlet housing together.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means interconnecting said armature to said outlet housing also compresses said outlet housing and said adaptor together at said open ends thereof.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said armature to said outlet housing also interconnects said adaptor to said outlet housmg.

8. A fluid pumping device comprising an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a flexible diaphragm interconnecting said housings together and defining a pumping chamber therebetween, interconnection means carried by said outlet housing for interconnecting an operator to said outlet housing to cause said outlet housing and diaphragm to move therewith and pump fluid from said inlet housing out through said outlet housing, and an adaptor carried by said outlet housing for receiving said fluid pumped therethrough, said adaptor having an outlet nipple means for interconnecting to conduit means and through which said pumped fluid must pass out of said adaptor, said outlet housing having an open outlet end, said adaptor having an open inlet end abuttingly seated on. said outlet end of said outlet housing to fluidly interconnect the same together and seal said open outlet end of said outlet housing from the exterior thereof.

9. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 8 Wherein said interconnection means comprises a rigid member extending into said open outlet end of said outlet housing, said adaptor having opening means telescopically receiving said rigid member.

10. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said rigid member comprises an externally threaded member and an internally threaded member threadedly receiving said externally threaded member, said adaptor having said opening means receiving said externally threaded member, and a retainer threaded on said externally threaded member to stack said adaptor against said internally threaded member whereby said adaptor is fastened to said outlet housing.

11. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said stacking of said adaptor against said internally threaded member causes said inlet open end of said adaptor to be compressed in sealed relation with said outlet open end of said outlet housing.

12. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said outlet open end of said outlet housing has an annular outwardly directed tongue and wherein said inlet open end of said adaptor has an annular groove receiving said tongue to seal said adaptor and outlet housing together.

13. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said interconnection means compresses said outlet housing and said adaptor together at said open ends 40,. thereof.

14. A fluid pumping device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said interconnection means interconnects said adaptor to said outlet housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,322 11/1932 Lanctot et al. 2,253,206 8/1941 Farrow et al.

2,430,545 11/1947 Wesley 103-151 3,242,355 3/1966 Davis et a1.

ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner 5 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

